Sifter.



G. MoEAGHRON.

SIFTER.

APPLIOATION FILED PEILZO, 1911. 1,005,991 Patented 001. 17,- 1911.

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UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE McEACI-IRON, OF FORSYTI-I, MICHIGAN.

SIFTER.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE MCEACHRON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forsyth, in the county of Marquette and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sifters; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in sifters and more particularly to the class designed for household use and adapted for the purpose of sifting flour, meal, and the like, and which can be successfully manipulated with one hand, thereby saving a considerable amount of time and labor on the part of the operator.

A further object of this invention is to improve and simplify devices of this character rendering them comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and eflicient in use, and readily operated.

With the above and other objects inview, the invention resides in the novel features of construction, formations, combinations, and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter fully described, claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of my improved sifter; and, Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line aa of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters 1 designates my improved sifter comprising a cylindrical body portion 2, to the lower edge of which is secured in any suitable manner a reticulated bottom 3. A handle 4 preferably a fiat strip of metal bent into rectangular form comprises a vertical portion 40 and horizontal portions 50 and 51, the first at the bottom and the second at the top, and both connected at their inner ends to the walls of the body 2 by riveting or other suitable means. Upon the top of the bottom portion 50 is secured, between the body 2 and the upright portion 40 of the handle 4, a tube 6 having a longitudinal slot 61 in its top for its full length and within this tube is a spiral spring 14 hearing at its outer end against the portion 4, a plug .62 being secured in its inner end slidable in the tube 6. Under the top horizontal portion 51 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 20, 1911.

Patented Oct.17, 1911.

Serial No. 609,708.

of the handle is secured a tube 60 provided with a slot 63 in its bottom extending its full length and within this tube is a spiral spring 140 hearing at its outer end against the portion 4, a plug 64 being secured in its inner end, slidable in the tube 60. These tubes 6 and 60 reach from the portion 4 of the handle to the body 2 and in addition to their uses as hereinafter described they serve to brace and stiffen the handle. A stirrer 7 is located withinthe body 2 of the sifter and comprises preferably a single piece of stiff wire, bent to form radially extending horizontal looped arms 8, one of the terminals of the wire being bent upwardly through a brace 9 which is secured to the opposite walls of the lower portion of the body 2 above and parallel with the bottom 3, the wire being then bent into a horizontal plane and ending in a hook 11, thus forming a crank arm 10. An operating bar 12, provided at its opposite ends with inwardly extending right angled horizontal ends 18, is mounted to slide longitudinally in the slots 61 and 63, the right angled ends being seated in tubes 6 and 60, so that during any inward movement of said bar, these ends will contact with the adjacent side of the body, shown in Fig. 1 and terminate the motion of the bar in that direction, thus always leaving a space 120 in which to insert the fingers to operate the bar. A link 15 is loosely engaged with the bar 12 at its outer end and extends into the body 2 through an aperture 16 to substantially the center thereof at which point it is offset as at 17, and pro vided with an eye 18 to engage the hook 11.

When the bar 12 is in the position illustrated, the plugs 62 and 64 are held in contact with, and press the bar toward the handle and when it is desired to operate the sifter, the bar is reciprocated by grasping the upright 40 of the handle and hooking the fingers over the bar. By closing the fingers, the bar is drawn outward, against the stress of the springs 14 and 140, compressing the springs, and by opening the fingers, the springs force the plugs 62 and 64 with the bar 12, back to the normal position, thus oscillating the stirrer in the opening in the brace 9, in a plane parallel with and substantially in contact with the reticulated bottom 3, and. thoroughly stirring the contents and sifting the same through the bottom.

The opening in the brace 9 being in the center of thebody and bottom, the oscillation of the crank arm 10 is in a path confined to less than a semi-circle on one side of a diametric line passing through the center of oscillation and the point of connection of the link 15 with the bar 12, said plane being co incident with the vertical plane in which the bar 12 reciprocates, the offset 17 in the link 1% permits the link to operate the stirrer with very slight lateral movement so that the opening 16 in the body 2 through which the' link passes, need not be large enough to permit of any noticeable waste of flour therethrough.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that a sifter is provided which will answer all the requirements of such a device, and which can be freely operated with one hand.

It is to be understood that various minor changes in the details of construction can be resorted to, within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus fully described this invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters-Patent is A sifter of the class described comprising a cylindrical body, a stirrer pivoted centrally therein, a rectangular handle on the outside of the body comprising a top horizontal arm, a vertical portion and a bottom horizontal arm, a tube secured under the top arm having a longitudinal slot in its lower face, a tube secured on the bottom arm having a longitudinal slot in its upper face, a spring in each tube, a rod parallel with the side of the body projecting through both slots into both tubes contacting with the inner ends of the springs and having right angular ends to serve as stops to prevent the too near approach of the bar to the body under the stress of the springs, and a pitman connecting the bar with the stirrer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE MCEACHRON.

Witnesses ALFRED R. PRIMEAU,

VVILLIAM H. D. HAAS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

